


But Here We Stand On Opposing Sides

by RisingShadows



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23451898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RisingShadows/pseuds/RisingShadows
Summary: William Schofield is the second born. The expendable heir in his Father's eyes.Thomas Blake is the second born son. Which means that he too is expendable.Will disagrees.
Relationships: Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 5
Kudos: 53





	But Here We Stand On Opposing Sides

_ “I don’t know what you had in mind _

_ But here we stand on opposing sides” _

* * *

William Schofield was the second born. The expendable heir. That was why he had been the one sent to fight. His palms sweaty around the hilt of his blade as he watched the army draw closer. The field between them already churned into mud from the countless battles that had taken place before his father had decided it would do them well to send him to lead. 

Across from him the Blake family crest hung. Across from him Thomas Blake of Devon led his men into battle. The second son, just as expendable in his Kingdom’s eyes as Will was in his. 

“My Prince, your orders.”

Turning just enough to acknowledge the man, one of his father’s high ranking generals, Will swallowed his emotions. This was not the time or place for bitterness. 

“Tell them to prepare, the King does not wish to exacerbate this war by striking first.” Around him men far older than him nodded. Distaste clear in their eyes as they turned away tugging at the reins as they moved down the lines to spread the word. Around him soldiers readied their blades. Adjusted their armor. 

Wondered who would live or die. 

Across the field the sea of silver armor drew to a halt and a single figure continued on. Crest held high as Will urged his own horse forward to meet him. There were no words to be shared, the two not even close enough to hear each other if they’d tried. 

A moment later and they returned to their lines. A minute after that and a horn sounded, echoing through the small valley and Will waited. Waited for the silver armor to begin moving to lift his blade above his head. 

The horn echoed behind him. 

The challenge had been answered.

The battle began. 

* * *

They met in a clash of steel and the scream of a man dying at Will’s feet. His eyes locking with those blue eyes he’d remembered so well. “Blake.” 

“Schofield.” Across from him the second son of the king of Devon lifted his blade and lunged. Will parrying the blow and striking back. A scream of steel as the two parted. Blake had always favored his left, even when they’d been teens sent as diplomatic envoys between their kingdoms. 

A moment to breath when they broke apart. Will being forced to side step one of Blake’s soldiers, shoving the man to the side with a quick step and locking eyes with the other prince. “My offer still stands.” 

In front of him Blake flinched, his grasp on his blade slipping and Will took his chance. The short sword skittering away from the two to bury itself point down in the mud. And Blake’s answer was the same as always. “You know I can’t accept that.”

Refusal. Why did he always have to refuse? “They wouldn’t know, no one would know.” The same argument they’d had time and time again. Years ago when they’d simply been bitter neighbors instead of enemies. Before his father had declared war. 

“Scho don’t ask this of me.” They could run, they could leave this battle- this war- now and no one would notice. Not in time to stop them. 

Gritting his teeth Will kept his blade ready. The two of them circling each other as if one of them hadn’t already been disarmed. “Tom, they sent us here to die. Why not let them think we did?” They sent them because they are the second sons, the expendable ones born to die. Born to be martyrs. Will wasn’t going to let Blake become a martyr. 

“Will, you know I can’t abandon my brother.”

And that was the issue here. The issue wasn’t the war. Wasn’t the painful truth that he couldn’t kill the other prince. No, the issue was that one of them had to die for this battle to end. 

His sword fell from limp fingers, and in one swift movement he offered his knife to the younger prince. Let his knee strike mud, ignored the blood that soaked through his pants leg. 

“This battle won’t end till one of us is dead then Blake.” For a moment they locked eyes, Blake’s hand tight on the hilt of the small blade. And Will saw the horror he’d crushed within himself well up in beautiful blue eyes. “Make it quick.”

The younger prince didn’t move. Knuckles white where he clutched the hilt of the blade and Will closed his eyes as he stood, reaching out to take the other prince's free hand.

“Tom. It’s the only way.” That jolted him out of his inaction. His free hand clutching Will’s as he jerked backwards as if to pull away. The knife falling from his hand as he reached for Will instead and pulled them both out of the way of another soldier who tumbled, already dead, to the ground where Will had stood. 

“Where would we go.” It was a whisper in Will’s ear. The younger prince blinking wide eyes up at him as Will felt a smile tug at his lips. 

“Anywhere, we can go anywhere.” In front of him Blake nodded slowly, turned back to the battle for half a second. The two of them had ended up on the outskirts of the fighting. The tree line not far from them. 

“Then let’s go. Let’s go and we can figure out how to end this war later.” Hands still locked together Will finally let the smile spread across his face as he pulled them towards the tree line. 

They had time, once it was discovered both princes were gone the armies would draw back. Hopefully too busy searching for bodies that wouldn’t be there to continue fighting. Too busy sending word back to the Kings, to slaughter each other in a war that had no meaning. 

Will wouldn’t let Thomas Blake be a martyr. 

Thomas Blake had no intention of allowing Will to become one either. 

* * *

The farm wasn’t difficult to acquire, an orchard in the back and a small barn they could hide their horses in. The two stallions clearly more expensive than a pair of refugees would own. Their armor joined the horses, carefully hidden where the two hoped no one else would ever think to look. 

Tom had wasted no time in wandering towards the orchard once the horses were settled, Will following after him a moment later. Following his eyes to the trees nearest them before he spoke. 

“Cherries. You told me your mother used to have you and your brother tend to hers. To teach you responsibility and all of that.” Grinning as Tom turned towards him, waiting just long enough for Will to fall into step beside him before continuing. “Figured it was best to stick to what we know. I’ll work on getting some livestock soon.”

“We can do this. We can live out here, without all of the expectations.” Tom’s voice echoed somewhat through the trees Will laughing beside him as he followed the train of thought.

“No court meetings we have to go to out here.”

Quirking an eyebrow the younger Prince- ex-prince?- turned a glare on him. Lips twitching as he tried to suppress a smile of his own. “Really know how to sell it huh Schofield?”

“Trying to say you aren’t satisfied Blake?”

Smile breaking across his face Tom reached out with one hand, Will letting it rest on his cheek as he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. Will’s hand rising to cradle the back of the other’s head as they stood there. 

“Told you we should have done this years ago.”

Tom rolling his eyes as he shushed him. His free hand claiming Wills and lifting it to rest against his chest as Will closed his eyes and Tom pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Just stand here with me for a moment.”

“Anything you ask Tom. Anything.”

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to Let's Go To War on repeat for nearly the entire time I was writing this. I might return to this concept and write something longer later on too, it depends I guess if I can come up with any scenes I'd like to add to the universe.   
> Also my summary for this was a mess I'm so sorry.


End file.
